Packaged article



June 26;, 1923.

M59354 W. H. SMITH PACKAGED ARTICLE Filed Oct. 30, 1919 /NVE/VTUR Patented June 26,

hillllED WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, OF BOSTON. BIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG'NOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORZELTION, OFPATEESON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PACKAGED ARTICLE.

Application filed October 30, 1919. Serial No. 334,551.

To all 717710777, it may com-era:

Be it known that I. lVmLmir H. SMITH,

a citizen of the United States. residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts. have invented certain linprovements in Packaged Articles, of which the following description, inconnection with the aceompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several ures.

The presentinvention relatesto packaged articles. For the purpose of illustration. the invention is herein set forth with particular reference to its application to packaged articles such as rubber heels.

The invention has for an object to provide an improved heel package to the end that the heels may be packaged, handled and used more economically and conveniently than heretofore and received by the user in condition to facilitate application to the shoes.

With this object in view, the invention provides a heel package comprising a plurality of heels disposed one upon the other and means connecting the heels to retain them in packaged relation by engagement with the heels limited to the edge of the heel. As herein illustrated. a pair of heels are positioned one upon the other with their.

heel seat surfaces in opposed relationship and their tread surfaces displayed and anarrow strip of adhesive coated paper connects the edge faces of the heels and extends peripherally along the sides of the heels. By reason of this manner of packaging rubber heels, a considerable saving in the cost of preparing the heels for transportation is effected inasmuch as the use of individual. cartons or containers is eliminated. and. moreover, the extra labor and cost of handling the heels is materially reduced,

A further and very important utility resulting from this manner of packaging rui her heels is that the user can readily determine from the exposed heel its size and colorand determine readily the appropriate heel. for a given shoe. In this way unnecessary trouble, for example in opening each individual carton to determine the character of the. heel enclosed. is eliminated.

Other features and novel characteristics of;

the invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating" a preferred embodiment of the invention and the invention will then be defined in the appended claims,

The drawing illustrates in perspective View, and partly in section, a pair of heels packaged according to a preferred embodimerit of the present invention.

As shown in the drawings, the pair of heels 2, 9;, which may be of any of the usual types of rubber heels; are assembled with their heel seat surfaces in abutting or opposed relationship. The two heels are confined in this relationship by a narrow strip of adhesive coated paper; at. This strip of paper is preferably of a width corresponding to the height of the edge faces of both heels so that the strip completely covers the edge faces of the heels. The strip is also of a length which will extend lengthwise entirely around the periphery of the heels and preferably overlap at the ends. In applyincthis paper to the heels it has not been found necessary in practice to use a strip which is entirely coated with adhesive throughout its length but at only two or three places, or if the paper is coated throughout, to render the coating adhesive at only two or three places. In this way the removal of the paper from the heels can be performed more readily than as though the paper adhered to the edge faces throughout. In applying the strip to the heels it has been found in practice better to render the coat-- ing adhesive at one end of the strip, to apply this end of the paper to the contiguous faces of the heels adjacentto their breast and then to apply the paper under some tension progressively around the periphery of the heel, rendering the coating adhesive. for example. at the rear and at opposite sides of the heel as an incident to its application. One very important advantage resulting from this method of packaging heels is that the heels When received by the user, such as the repair man or cobbler, are in such condition that he may readily determine their size and color. Therefore, as the cobbler desires a heel of a certain size and color to be applied to the particular shoe being operated upon, it is merely necessary that he glance at the venous types of heels and select the proper pair. Under the old practice Where each pair of heels are contained in a separate package, it was often found necessary for the cobbler to open a large number of cardboard boxes and remove the heels in order to select heels of the proper size and color. This not only involved an appreciable Waste of time. but in many instances resulted in the use of a heel not of the proper size. It is obvious that an appreciable saving is effected in this manner of packaging heels for transportation over the prior methods of providing individual containers or cartons for each pair of heels. Moreover, where large number of heels are shipped in bulk the packing of the heels can be done with greater efficiency and accuracy, particularly Where an assortment of different sizes and styles are to be included, since there is less opportunity for mistakes. By assembling the heels with their heel seat surfaces abutting, the tread surfaces of the heels are the only portions of the heels which are exposed, It will be noted that the tape lbridges the breasts of the heels, being stretched across the breasts from corner to corner; and that the space between the tape and the breasts of the heels facilitates the breaking of the tape when it is desired tostrip the tape from the heels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A package of rubber heels which have the size marks on the tread faces thereof comprising a pair of heels superposed one upon the other with their heel seat faces abutting and their tread faces exposed, and a piece of tape of a Width not greater than the combined heights of the heels wrapped about the edges of the heels and fastened to said edges whereby the heels are held from separation and the tread face of each heel is exposed to view to permit the color and size of the heels to be learned from inspection.

2. A package for rubber heels which have the size marks on the tread faces thereof comprising a pair of heels superposed one upon another with their heel seat faces abutting and their tread faces exposed, and a piece of tape of a width not greater than the combined heights of the heels wrapped about the edges of the heels and fastened to the edges outside the locality of the heel breasts, the tape being stretched from corner to corner across the breasts so as to leave a space to facilitate breaking and removing the tape.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH. 

